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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stem — to come from
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — a permit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com